


Aftermath

by hammerfistninja



Category: RWBY
Genre: Blood and Injury, Gen, Panic Attacks, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-24
Updated: 2014-06-24
Packaged: 2018-02-06 00:40:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1838062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hammerfistninja/pseuds/hammerfistninja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the wake of their first full battle with Cinder and co., Team RWBY picks up the pieces and moves forward. Ruby-centric.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aftermath

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the second opening of RWBY. Wrote it about a month ago but finally got around to posting it now.

Ruby rubbed at her bandaged arm and sighed, shifting uncomfortably on one of the wooden benches that lined Beacon’s many pathways. The hards slats dug into her back and thighs, making her aware of every bruise and aching muscle. Her hands shook and she felt so heavy, even without Crescent Rose at her back. Her weapon was back in her locker, it’s usually immaculate finish completely destroyed from the day’s combat. 

Ruby pressed her face in her hands, inhaling sharply.

She’d almost died. Yang had almost died. Her entire team had almost--

“Hey, sis.”

Ruby jumped, hand landing on her shoulder as she looked up. Yang smiled softly down at her. “Mind if I sit?”

Sliding over, the bench creaked softly as Yang sat down next to her. Yang didn’t collapse on to it like she usually would, instead gingerly moving so she didn’t pull the bruised muscles in her ribs. “You okay?” she asked.

Ruby scuffed her boot on the ground. “I almost got everyone killed.”

Yang sighed heavily, leaning on her knees and hissing - she couldn’t find a good position to sit without tweaking her ribcage. “But you didn’t,” she said. She clicked her tongue as she tried to think of what to say to reassure her sister. She’d always been a better listener than a talker, especially in these sorts of situations. The guilt rolling off Ruby was palpable and weighed heavy on her heart. She’d do anything to get rid of that sadness. “I know that maybe it doesn’t seem like it right now but, Ruby, you did the right thing. No one died and a lot of people are safe because we stepped in.”

“I know, I just.” Ruby clutched at her skirt, knuckles going white. Biting into her lip, she tensed as scenes from early in the day flashed through her mind, faster than she could process. So many things that could’ve gone wrong, so many times where one misstep, one mistake, could’ve cost someone their life. Sure, it was something that all hunters accepted - death was part of the business - but Ruby had never experienced that flash of terror before, that spike of adrenaline, that sudden persistent thought that had slammed into her like a freight train, screaming, “I’m going to die here.”

Not until her fight with Cinder.

There was only one reason why she was still alive right now, and she had Yang to thank. “That woman used a fire semblance. If I didn’t have all that experience dealing with you, I… she probably would’ve…” Ruby trailed off, unable to voice the concept, afraid that it would make everything all the more real.

Yang nodded, eyes falling shut as flashes of her own fight played back in her mind. “Yeah, the guy I fought had a speed semblance like yours. That’s probably the only reason I was able to keep up with him.”

The knowledge was a bitter pill to swallow. Even her big sister had been clearly outmatched by her opponent and yet Ruby had still chosen to stay and fight. She should’ve let someone else, someone more qualified, someone more skilled, deal with it.

“How are Weiss and Blake?”

The four of them had been taken back to Beacon together, but Weiss and Blake had both looked significantly worse for wear than either of the sisters. More flashes of the last few hours lit up Ruby’s brain. Anxiety dropped her heart into her gut like a stone as she recalled those tense minutes of waiting, after the fight was over. Yang had shown up first, wincing and gingerly clutching her side but in good spirits. A few minutes later, Blake had limped in, tattered ribbon in hand, nose busted and bleeding down her face and the front of her shirt. Then, silence, terrible gut-wrenching silence until Weiss staggered back, pristine white outfit stained with red, deep gash in her forehead and blood pouring down her face and neck and matting her hair.

“They got released before I did, actually.” Yang’s voice broken Ruby out of reliving her spiraling panic. “Seemed a little pissed about getting their asses handed to them - they were having a pretty heated discussion when they left.”

“They were fighting?” No. No. Not again. Those two couldn’t start fighting again. Not now.

“Huh? Oh no, Weiss was just complaining because the nurse thought she was twelve or something and gave her a Hello Kitty band-aid. I think Blake might’ve been jealous that she didn’t get one, too.”

Good news, then, and the mental image made Ruby crack a smile for the first time in what felt like forever, even though she’d been nothing but smiles just this morning, before everything. Her smile fell away. “If they’re not in the infirmary, where are they?”

Yang blew out a stream of air as she thought back, trying to recall which direction Weiss and Blake had left in. “I think they were headed towards the old amphitheatre?”

“I want to see them.” 

Ruby pushed off the bench, staggering as a wave of dizziness crashed over her. Static drowned out every other noise, even Yang’s concerned shout. Ruby didn’t even notice Yang jump up from the bench to grab her and steady her. She had to go see them. She wanted to see them - see them okay again, see them not hurt and covered in blood because of a stupid decision she had made.

“Ruby--”

“I’m fine,” she tried, but everything was spinning around her. “I need to talk to them. I need to apologize.”

She was the team leader. She was supposed to look out for the team’s best interests, not send them off to fight unwinnable battles. Sharp pangs constricted her chest, making her shake and sweat and struggle to breathe, lungs gasping for air.

“Ruby!” Yang was in front of her air, grasping her arms tight. “Calm down, sis. It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s over and we’re fine. It’s okay. I’m here. Just breathe.”

She rested her head on Yang’s shoulder, cold sweat making her skin stick to the leather jacket as she focused on measuring her breaths. Yang’s soothing touch eased her frayed nerves.

“Look, Rubes, I know you feel guilty about what happened, but just because things didn’t go the way you thought they would, doesn’t mean that you made the wrong decision. You made the right decision. I know that. Blake knows that. Even Weiss knows that.”

Ruby shuffled closer to her sister’s embrace and Yang’s arms wrapped loosely around her.

“Sometimes, making the right choice is hard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make it.”

Yang knew the feeling all too well. The tightness that had clamped down on her heart when Ruby had given the order to stay and fight still hadn’t left. As a sister, she had wanted to drag Ruby as far as possible from that mess, but as a member of team RWBY, she’d know that her leader’s orders had been the right ones. Weiss and Blake had known, too, had not faltered at the idea that they would be facing people responsible for so much destruction, people more than capable of destroying them.

Yang swallowed thickly. “You did good out there, Ruby. I’m proud of you.”

“...Yang.” Words failed Ruby and she buried her face in Yang’s scarf instead, arms wrapping around her sister and squeezing her in a tight hug.

Yang squawked. “Ribs, ribs!”

Jumping away, Ruby held up her hands, far and away from Yang’s injured torso. “Oh my gosh, sorry--sorry! I’m sorry!”

“It’s okay, sis,” Yang said, but her face was still pale and pinched with pain, more than before. She grinned weakly. “Whaddya say we go find those wayward teammates of ours, yeah?”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah.”

The sun was almost finished setting and the lamps were glowing softly in preparation for the dark as they started walking side by side, their heavy boots clunking against the stone pathway. Though the last signs of daylight were fading, Yang still felt restless. Even the bone-deep ache in her muscles, in her joints, in every fibre of her being, wasn’t enough that she could even think about getting sleep tonight. She just wanted to rest, for this to be over with, for tomorrow to come and yet… she clenched her shaking hand and glanced at Ruby, hoping she hadn’t seen.

Ruby was just staring at the ground though, hands fisted at her sides, too, knuckles white.

Within minutes, they were close enough to hear the tell-tale sounds of metal striking metal.

“Are they fighting?” Yang asked, heart thundering in her chest.

Ruby didn’t respond, just rushed forward, wishing she could use her semblance to move faster as Yang kept pace behind her. They swerved around the corner and through the entryway, stopping when they could see Blake and Weiss clearly. The entire arena was illuminated by powerful stadium lights and the two were dancing in a flurry of blows. The strikes looked vicious and one sweep of Gambol Shroud grazed Weiss’s ponytail, sending a few strands of white hair to the ground while a quick parry with Myternaster had Blake stumbling back.

“Stop!” Ruby shrieked. “Stop fighting!”

The two froze and Blake stumbled, halfway through her strike, landing hard on her knee. Weiss turned sharply to face their team leader and put her free hand on her hip. “Fighting? We’re sparring, you dolt! Can’t you tell the difference?”

Ruby leaned back, pressing the tips of her index fingers together nervously. “Uh, no. I guess not.”

“Hey, don’t yell at Ruby. She’s just worried,” Yang snarled. “Besides, why were you even sparring? Shouldn’t you be resting or something?”

From here they could see the white bandage around Weiss’s head, peeking out from under her bangs. She looked a lot more pallid than usual. “We’re fine,” she snipped.

Blake rolled her eyes. “You look like you’re about to fall over.”

“Says the person who can’t put any weight on their left leg.”

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the bandaged limb and Blake shifted awkwardly, trying to make the truth of Weiss’s words seem less obvious even as her nostrils flared and she glared daggers at the other girl.

Weiss ignored her with a huff. “Besides, how are we supposed to rest right now, so soon after…?”

She trailed off and everyone fell into the silence, heads bowed and jaws taut. Yang glanced at her still trembling hands. They were all a little tense right now, after everything that had happened today, it was impossible to think of rest - their racing hearts and minds wouldn’t let them, and that nauseating anxiety eating away at their guts probably didn’t help, either.

“Why were you sparring?” Yang asked again.

“Preparation,” Blake answered. “That thug, Torchwick, uses a fencing style similar to Weiss’s. He’s left-handed, too. If I’m more prepared, I may be able to get the upper hand against him next time.”

Weiss nodded at Blake’s explanation. “The woman I fought uses a dual-wielding style that I’ve seen Blake use before. I came to the conclusion that I might stand a better chance at defeating her if I were to spend more time training with Blake.”

“You’d really fight them again, knowing that they’re so much stronger?” Ruby couldn’t believe that both of them would so readily walk back into the line of fire. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting at all - she’d been expecting them to yell or be angry or tell her she had made a stupid decision, but they were standing behind her one hundred percent, just like Yang had said.

“You wouldn’t?” Weiss retorted. “They don’t deserve to just walk all over other people like that and I don’t care how strong they think they are, they can’t just do as they please and expect people not to fight back.

Blake nodded as she limped over to the inner stone wall, the irony of Weiss’s words not lost on her. “Besides,” she added. “Because we stepped in, a lot of people were able to escape with their lives.” She sat down on one of the stone benches, hunching forward and steepling her fingers together. “We saved a lot of people.”

She didn’t have to say anything else, the smile that bloomed on Blake’s face was telling enough. The skills she’d honed in the White Fang had finally been put to good use today. She’d done good today - they all had.

Something shifted, became lighter, and Ruby could feel her breaths coming normally, again. Things were gonna be okay. She shared a grin with Yang and turned to Weiss and Blake. “So, who wants to have movie night early this week?”

“It’s not like we’re going to sleep tonight, anyway,” Weiss said.

They all smiled softly and turned to start heading back to the dorm. Weiss paused though when Blake didn’t stand up to follow. She snorted at the faunus. “You sat down and now you can’t stand up again, can you?”

Blake glared but didn’t say anything.

“Not. A. Problem!” Yang moved next to Blake and bent over to pick her up. “I’ll just carry you, then. Upsy-daisy.”

“Yang, no wait--!”

Blake’s added weight strained Yang’s arms and tweaked her ribs, making the bruised muscles seize up painfully. She stumbled and they crashed to the ground in a heap that made Ruby wince. “My ribs…” Yang moaned into the dirt.

“Yang, my leg,” Blake croaked. “You’re on my leg.”

A cursory glance told Weiss that weren’t badly hurt before she turned on her heel, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder in dramatic fashion as she threw her hands up in the air, a frustrated sigh escaping her. “Ugh, you’re both useless!” She stalked away, the clicking of her heels echoing loudly in the old arena. “C’mon, Ruby, I don’t want to be seen near these incompetent losers.”

“I’ll show you incompetent!” Yang challenged weakly, face pressed into the ground. She wheezed, feeling like there was a heavy weight on her back. “Hey, Blake, you wanna get off me?”

Blake snorted, but the sound came from beneath her. “Don’t know how I’m supposed to do that when you’re the one that’s on top.”

Yang flushed, realizing her mistake, and quickly tried to push herself off her partner, torso screaming in agony. Her arms gave out and she fell back down with a heavy sigh. Blake’s hands came to rest on her back, tapping out a boredom fueled rhythm. “You wanna get off me?” Blake said, repeating Yang’s earlier words.

Yang did not appreciate the taunt. “You’re awfully demanding for someone who’s on the bottom,” she complained.


End file.
